Finn McNally

I'm a journalist and photographer seeking freelance opportunities. This portfolio is a sample of the work that I've done so far in my professional career, both as a writer and a photographer.

My Recent Work

The Leadville Herald Democrat •

County wins lawsuit against Peak 360

District Court Judge Cheryle Cheroutes ruled in favor of Lake County Government against the construction company Peak 360 on Dec. 24, 2025. Lake County was awarded $473,107 in damages as well as attorney’s fees, costs and statutory interest.In 2018, the county was seeking to build a second fire station in the southern half of the county. The county accepted a bid from Peak 360 and entered into a construction agreement on Oct. 18, 2018.The contract stated that Peak 360 would build the fire statio...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

BOCC voices opposition to unfunded mandates

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) submitted a letter on Aug. 20 to the Colorado General Assembly voicing their opposition to the unfunded state mandates and asking that the legislature take rural communities like Lake County into consideration when passing laws.BOCC discussed its letter during a work session on Aug. 13. The board discussed how laws passed by the state often require resources from local governments but do not always come with funds available to meet those requirements.“It’...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

Lake County schools go into lockdown on first day

After an off-campus altercation between two Lake County High School students, all of the Lake County school went into a brief lockdown on the first day of school. During the altercation, one student suffered a nonfatal gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital but has since been released.On the morning of Aug. 11, two students got into a fight at Lake County High School. Both students were suspended and sent home for the day. At midday, there was another altercation between the two students. T...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

Feds withholding education funding

The U.S. Department of Education announced on June 30 that it is withholding $6.8 billion in  federal funding for K-12 schools in America. The $450,000 that Lake County School District was meant to receive from that funding would go towards Project Dream and English-language development.The withheld funding was approved in 2025 and is not part of this year’s budget talks. The Department of Education stated that it wants to ensure that all funds are being used in accordance with President Donald...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

The Irish of Leadville: Looking back at the mining strikes in the 1880s

In the mid-nineteenth century, Ireland suffered from an event known as the Great Hunger or the Potato Famine. Ireland at the time was an imperial property of the British Empire and the majority of the crops grown in Ireland were exported to England. The potato was the primary crop that the Irish could grow for themselves. When the potato crop suffered a blight, many Irish starved or were unable to pay rent to their British landlords. This led to mass evictions from the land as well as mass emigr...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

MEWA locates and stops major leak

The Mount Elbert Water Association (MEWA) recently located a leak in their water system that has been nearly tripling the system’s water usage. MEWA leadership stated that it is possible there are other leaks, but they will not know until the first is repaired. This situation is ongoing and the information in this article is accurate as of Tuesday, March 11.MEWA is a non-profit entity that manages the water supply for the Pan-Ark Estates neighborhood in Twin Lakes. MEWA has three ground water pu...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

Meet The Queen of Harrison Avenue

A hot pink jacket stands out on Harrison Avenue as its wearer flies down the snow-covered street on her way to winning Best Rider at the 77th Annual Leadville Ski Joring. The victory marks the 11th time that Savannah McCarthy has won the award in her 13 years of competing, a career that has earned her the nickname, “The Queen of Harrison Avenue.”Growing up in Durango, Colorado, McCarthy began riding horses as soon as she was old enough to sit up on her own. Her parents took her to Silverton Skij...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

DWR working on plan to temporarily restore flow to Barn Pond

Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) engineer Rachel Zancarella said that she is working on a proposal to temporarily and expeditiously restore flow to Barn Pond in Twin Lakes. Zancarella said that she and DWR have not made an official determination as to whether Berrier Creek is a natural stream or a man-made ditch. The distinction is crucial as a natural stream cannot be altered without decree regardless of water rights.
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

The veteran, the professional, the legend

Hours before Leadville Ski Joring 2024 began, Jerry Kissell was walking up and down the course. As he paced, he checked which parts of the course were slick, how high the jumps were and where the rings were placed.Kissell was the skier for the first run of the weekend. He made sure he knew the course well. He thought over how his first run would go and every move he would make.“My goal for this first run is to be smart, clean and set a standard,” Kissell said. He pointed to a ring placed directl...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

Men’s basketball defeats KIPP Denver Collegiate

The Lake County High School men’s basketball team beat KIPP Denver Collegiate High School 52-41 on Friday, Feb. 9.Lake County is now 11-7 this season and their win streak has been extended to five. They are 5-1 in league play and rank second in the 3A Frontier League. It was the Panthers’ final home game of the regular season and their senior night. Head coach Isaac Martinez started the game with all four of his seniors on the court, David Soto, Ivan Liewer, James Medina and Damon Cox.The game q...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

The Lake County Wars: A tale of turmoil and vigilantism in the Wild West

Back in 1874, before Colorado was a state, Lake County extended much further south and encompassed towns like Granite, Nathrop and Salida. The south end of Lake County attracted ranchers and farmers and the population grew rapidly during the late 1800s. The growth caused tension and disputes over land and water rights that boiled over into the period of fear and violence known as the Lake County Wars. On June 16, 1874, rancher Elijah Gibbs and his hired hand Stewart McClish got into an argument...
The Leadville Herald Democrat •

BOCC extends OHV moratorium until Feb. 20

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted on Nov. 30 to extend the moratorium on commercial off-highway vehicles (OHV) licenses until Feb. 20.The moratorium was put in place on Feb. 7, 2023 to give Lake County Community Planning and Development (CPD) time to make recommendations for an update to the county’s OHV ordinance. The county had received complaints about OHV use on county roads causing overcrowding and trail damage. OHVs include ATVs, dirt bikes and snowmobiles. Commiss...
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